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COMPANY DIRECTOR
AT INQUIRY
- , >' !'- J ;
Promised to Ask About
Missing Communist
SYDNEY, Monday. — John Skolnik, Melbourne company
director, told the Royal Commission 011 Espionage today that
he had promised security officers that he Mould ask the Sea
men's Union secretary, William Bird, where a missing Com-
munist was.
The missing Communist is Walter Scddon Clayton, former
member of the central committee of the Communist party,
whom the commission has sought since June as a 111111688.
Skolnik; of Queen's
Road, Melbourne,' was
called as a witness
because he .guaran
teed a £500 bank
overdraft for Clayton
in 1951., He was asked
if he- knew where
Clayton was.
He said he., did not. He
had not seen him for 20
months. :
He denied that he told the
security officers who inter
viewed him in Melbourne
that he had already made
inquiries from ; Bird1 about
Clayton and been told by
Bird that Clayton was now
in New Zealand.
Skolnik said all he had
told the security officers was
that he would make the in
quiries. which he had not
done yet. He. had suggested
that it , was .likely that the
Seamen's Union, which was
under Communist control,
had smuggled Clayton out
of Australia.-
Skolnik said he was born
in Russia, but left there
when he was five. He came
. to Australia in 1924 and was
naturalised in 1931. He had
been in the Labor party
since he arrived here.
He denied he was a Com
munist.. He said he had
known Clayton only socially.
He knew Clayton as a Com
munist, but not that he was
a, full-time paid official of
the Communist party -
18 Years
He had known Clayton
about 18 years, but lost
track of him when Clayton
went to Sydney in 1939.
Clayton "came to life
again" about 1950 by calling
into his office in Mel
bourne.
His association wjith Clay
ton .was purely social and
he never had business or
political dealings with him.
. In 1951, Clayton asked for
ft loan of « £500 and he
(Skolnik) agreed to guaran-
, tee a bank loan of £500, to
be reduced by weekly pay
ments of 25/ a week.
Mr. Justice Owen: Was
there any reason why you
should lend Clayton £500
when he .was only a social
acquaintance and - you had
not seen him for years ?
Skolnik: Well I am a
peculiar man. I have guar
anteed over £100,000 for a
lot of people. Most of. these
people were only- known to
me socially.
.Mr. Justice Ligertwood:
Do you charge anything ? —
No. ....
In Bar
Mi. G. A. Pape (assist
ing the . commission) : Did
you , ever learn . that Clay
ton was, or might be, in
New Zealand ?— I heard it
mentioned that; he might
have gone home to -New
Zealand when I was drink
ing, in a bar with other
people. Somebody men
tioned that he would not
be surprised if Clayton had
returned to New Zealand.
I Did you. make any inqui
ries of Mr. Bird ?— No.
You know Mr. Bird ? —
Yes. '
. Was Bird present at that
bar discussion ? — No-
Skolnlk said he had tola
.officers- of. the . Common-
wealth-Investigation1 Brancn
or security service in Mel
bourne that if Bird wanted
to get Clayton out. of the
country,- as secretary of thi-
Seamen's Union it would
not have been difficult for
him. .
To his counsel, Mi-. E- S
Miller,, Q.C., Skolnik said he
had guaranteed bank ad-
vances totalling more than
£100.000 for individuals,
firms and companies.
Clayton's £500 was one of
the smallest.
One Purpose
When Skolnik . completed
his evidence, Mr. ! Miller
said:, "I understand that
Skolnik has. been called for
one purpose -only— his know
ledge of Clayton. I have
assured him that there is
not. the slighest imputation
against:, his - character, per
sonal reputation or patriot-
lsm-.".- ' , .;
Mr. 'Justice Owen: Skol
nik guaranteed a loan to
Clayton. It was thought he
might help us. find him.
...Mr. W. J. V. Wmdeyer,
Q.G., senior counsel assisting
the commission, - said the
next witness would be the
deputy secretary of the De
partment of Defence (Mr-
Chilton).
He would describe, in part,
the system of transmission
Of lnfnrmntlnn frnm tVio rfn_
partment of defence-
Mr. Windeyer asked that
Mr. Chilton's evidence
should be heard in secret
session and- the commission
agreed.
The commission, after the
secret session, adiourned
until 10 a.m. tomorrow with
out reopening the public
hearing.
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